Draper



(Nomodel.)

C. P. RPER.

y AUTOMATIC SPRINKLBR. No. 412,204. Patented Oct. 1. 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ErIoE.

CHARLES F. ROPER, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE DRAPER da SONS, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,204, dated October 1, 1889.

Application filed Tune 8 1889. Serial No. 313,557, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. ROPER, of Hopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Sprinklers, ot which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specication, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to automatic sprinklers of that class in which the valve controlling the supply of Water or other medium, as gas, is held closed by means of a fusible solder or other material having a low meltingpoint.

My present invention has for its object to provide an automatic sprinkler of the class referred to which shall be simple in construction, yet most efficient in operation.

My invention therefore consists, essentially, in the combination, with a valve-casing adapted to be secured to a supply-pipe, of a valve iitted into said casing and provided with a stem having a peripheral groove or slot, a support having a slot to correspond in position with the slot when the valve is closed, and a retaining-plate to operate substantially as will be described.

Figure l is a vertical section and elevation of a sufficient portion of an automatic sprinkler embodying my invention to enable it to be understood, the valve and its stem being shown in elevation; Fig. 2, a detail of the valve removed; Fig. 3, a detail in elevation of the delieetor and its attached sleeve or support, and Fig. a a detail to be referred to.

The pipe A, the threaded nipple a., forming part of the valve-casing a', provided with the feet o?, secured to the deector-plate as, and having the annular ledge a4, may be substantially such as shown and described in another application, Serial No. 313,566, filed by me J une 8, 1889.

The valve-casing a receives within it the valve b, preferably a disk, to which is secured the valve stem or rod b', provided on its periphery with a transverse groove or slot b2, which comes opposite a similar slot b3 in a support shown as a tube or sleeve b4 when the valve is in its normal or closed position, 5o

as shown in Fig. l. The valve b is retained closed by means of a retaining device, preferably a metal plate, bent or rounded at one end to form an enlargement c', (see Fig. 4,) which is extended through the slot b3 of the sleeve 4 5 5 and into the groove b2, the said bar having its outer end secured to the delector by the fusible solder c3. The valve is rendered Wa ter-tight, preferably, by one or more disks c4,

of tin-foil, and the packing c5, of paraihne, 6o

the valve b is maintained closed until the temperature of the locality in which the sprinkler is located reaches a point at which the solder c3 fuses. When this point is reached, the plate c drops by gravity, assisted by the pressure of the Water upon the valve, 7o

the latter being forced below the valve-casing and, as herein shown, upon the deiiector.

In order that the plate c may not be accidentally retained in operative position, and

thereby maintain the valve b entirely or partially closed after the solder has melted, the groove b2 is preferably made of a depth less than one-half of the diameter of the enlargement o on the plate c, so that when the solder becomes melted the force of the Water 8o will throw the plate c outot` the slot b3 in the sleeve or support b4.

l. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination, with a valve-casing adapted to be secured to a supply-pipe7 of a valve fitted into said casing and provided With a stem having a peripheral groove or slot, as b2, a support having a slot to correspond in position with the slot b2 when the valve is closed, and a re- 9o taining-plate, as c, to operate substantially as described.

2. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination, with a valve-casing adapted to be secured to a supply-pipe and a deflector secured to said casing, of a valve fitted into said casing and provided With a stem having a peripheral groove or slot, as b2, zt4 support have ing a slot to Correspond in position with the slot b2when the valve is o1osed,and a retaining-plate, as o, having one end secured tothe deeotor and its other end inserted into said groove, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my'name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. ROPER.

Witnesses:

E. D. BANOROFT, H. F. SEARLEs. 

